


My Secret Santa Isn't Much Of A Secret

by themadtilde



Category: Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Fluff, Friends to Lovers, High School AU, M/M, Mutual Pining, Secret Santa, Some angst, idk how but Simon and Magnus ended up like brotp
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-20
Updated: 2016-02-22
Packaged: 2018-05-22 05:53:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,283
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6067615
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/themadtilde/pseuds/themadtilde
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It had been obvious, from the start, that Alec was Magnus' Secret Santa.<br/></p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I can't differentiate between American and British English - gray, grey, shop, store, realize, realise, color, colour, favorite, favourite- so please, just try to look past this.   
> I try to stick to American english but I use the word 'couch' which is British or smth like that. And I don't know when to use 'c', 'z' or 's' so yeah ... I try to edit my stories but I might've missed a word here and there  
> Also, I do not know what you do after 9th grade. I know of college, university and high school but I don't know what you do there exactly. Just imagine them in some sort of normal school.
> 
> English is not my native language, sorry for any mistakes.
> 
> One of these parts are really cliché. I won't tell you which, but you'll notice when you get there.
> 
>  
> 
> **UNBETA'D. I will edit and correct mistakes as I see them. ******
> 
> **I do not own The Mortal Instruments.**  
> 

' _Clary Fray_ ' said Magnus' piece of paper. He looked out over the class, frowning. He didn't know any 'Clary Fray' here.

He saw the other students unfold their papers, and frown and scan the names on their paper. Some of them looked really disappointed, some of them gave low shouts of joy. The jocks, and those who thought this entire thing was stupid, only threw their papers to the floor, depsite the teacher's protests.

Magnus glanced at the sullen boy next to him. Alexander stared at his paper, knuckles turning white.

"Alec?" Magnus nudged him. Alec winced and quickly wrinkled his paper, stuffing it in his pocket.

"What?" he asked, bewildered. Magnus frowned - Alec must've gotten one hell of an awful person to give gifts to.

"Who did you get?" Magnus asked curiously. Alec shook his head, his jaw set.

"Can't tell you" he said. Magnus raised one eyebrow.

"What, is it me?" he asked.

Alec glared at him. "It's against the rules to tell anyone" he replied stiffly.

Magnus shrugged and leant back in his chair, pondering over who this Clary Fray was.

* * *

Magnus' first gift appeared inside his locker, which was a bit startling. No one was supposed to know the combination to his locker. He supposed that whoever it was could've figured out the code or maybe, maybe asked a teacher to open it.

Or maybe ...

His eyes travelled across the corridor, over the heads of all the students (Magnus was pretty tall), locking on a boy with black hair and the bluest eyes ever seen.

Alec had his back to Magnus, and was fiddling with something. Probably a gift from his own Secret Santa.

 _You're jumping to conclusions,_ Magnus scolded himself. _It can be literally anyone in the entire school._

Magnus' gift was wrapped in red, plain paper with a small note attached to it. Curiously, Magnus read it.

 

_A simple starter, because you can be very picky._

 

That was all. Magnus frowned, searching for any clues about who it was. But the note was written and printed, which meant he couldn't identify the handwriting. Sighing, he carefully tucked the paper in his notebook and opened the present.

It was a palette with two different eyeshadows - blue and green. Well, it was no secret that he loved makeup and owned more than a makeup store did, so there was nothing to go after here. All he could do for now, was to put the makeup in his bag, close his locker and make his way over to Alec.

"Hey" he said as he closed up. Alec looked up quickly, frowning. In his hands, he held an entirely black shirt.

"This" he said and held up the shirt for Magnus to see, "was really thoughtful but not personal. It can be literally anyone in the entire school." Magnus snorted inwardly. _You tell me._

"I know I'm not supposed to tell anyone" he said, "but do you know who Clary Fray is?"

Alec looked thoughtful for a moment, but then shook his head. "Nope" he said simply.

* * *

During his twenty-minutes break, the only break he had to spend without his best friend, sat Magnus on a bench in the corridor. Since most of the other students still had classes, the hallway was pretty much empty.

He was reading the note over and over again.

 _You can be very picky._ Someone knew at least that he had favourite brands and tools and didn't buy the first mascara he saw. The brand on the palette was okay - not bad, but not the best.

As he sat there and pondered, someone else sat down next to him. It was a boy with brown hair, nerdy glasses and a nervous expression.

"Hi" he said.

"Hi?" Magnus raised one eyebrow. He had seen the boy here and there in the corridors, but couldn't for his life remember his name. Sheldon? Samuel? Sixten?

"I'm Simon" the boy said and _right_ , Simon it was.

"Well hello there Simon" said Magnus. "Can I help you with something?"

"Yeah ... you are Magnus Bane right?"

Normally, Magnus would've replied with a snarky comment, but he held it back.

"Yup" he said instead, popping the p.

Simon looked like he was about to have a breakdown.

"Right. I wanted to ask you ... you are Alec's boyfriend, right?"

Magnus choked. "I -no! No. We're just friends. Well, best friends." True, he did like to think of Alec as his boyfriend. But he knew for sure that his friend didn't harbour any other feelings than friendship for him.

Simon looked surprised. "Just friends? Okay ... that's not it. I just ... look, I know it's against the rules, but since you are Alec's closest friend ..."

Magnus saw where this was going.

"You're Alec's Secret Santa" he guessed. Simon nodded and raked a hand through his hair.

"I really, really don't know what to buy him. The shirt was a last-minute purchase. But I can't give him black socks and shirts all the time."

You were supposed to give five gifts to the person on your paper, and you had exactly three weeks to do it without being noticed. On the last day of the term, your Secret Santa would be revealed, unless you figured it out before.

"Well ..." Magnus named a few of Alec's favourite artists and some other small things he just liked. Simon actually hauled out his phone and wrote down everything.

"Thank you" he said then, and was about to stand up and leave when Magnus came to think of something.

"Wait" he said, and Simon looked at him. Making sure no one else heard, Magnus said:

"Do you know who Clary Fray is?"

"Of course" said Simon, as if it was obvious. "She's my best friend. Are you her Secret Santa?"

"Yeah, and in return for information about Alec..." Magnus trailed off and Simon caught on immediately.

"Oh, of course. Well, she likes to draw, for starters. And draw for real - not like a Crayola ten pack and a bunch A4-papers. Real stuff."

"Oh,  don't worry" Magnus said dismissively, gathering his belongings and standing up. "I am interested in art myself. I think I know what to buy for Clary. Can you tell me what she looks like?"

Simon shrugged. "Tiny, and short. Red curly hair, green eyes. You can always look out for me - Clary and I do usually hang out."

"Yeah, okay. Thank you, Sherwin" said Magnus, and left for next class.

* * *

Clary turned out to be the girl owning the locker right next to Magnus. He had seen her almost every day but never paid attention to her. What? There were over 100 students everywhere.

He went to a book store, bought the perfect gift for her and returned to school on Wednesday.

He taped the gift to her locker, hoping that no douchebag decided to tear it down.

As he stood there, pretending to search for something in his locker, said Clary came up and almost missed the gift.

"Oh" Magnus heard her say when she finally saw it. Carefully, she loosened the tape and looked curiously at the gift. Magnus watched her out of the corner of his eye.

Eventually, the set with oil pastels was revealed, and Magnus noticed, pleased, how Clary shone up.

"Secret Santa's gift, huh?" he asked conversationally. Clary jumped, and seemed to notice Magnus presence first now.

"Ah, yeah. I think so." She studied the crayons. "I wonder who it is. I didn't think anyone but Simon knew about my interest for art, but it can't be him. He got ..." she trailed off when she remembered that Magnus was there.

"I know it's Alec" he grinned. "Seems like most of you don't care about the rules."

Clary flushed. "Simon is my best friend! And I got an - uh, difficult person."

"Really? Who?"

Clary's gaze landed somewhere behind Magnus, and he turned to look. A few lockers away stood Jace Lightwood, a quite obnoxious blond that Magnus, unfortunately, had to endure every time he went over to Alec. Next to him stood Isabelle Lightwood, and her resemblance to Alec was evident. Same cheekbones, hair and shape of the eyes. There was something about the nose, too.

Isabelle was totally okay, but Magnus had a deep dislike for Jace. He just couldn't stand his confident and malicious smirk. Jace was attractive, and he was that kind of guy who knew and flaunted it.

"Ah" said Magnus. "The Golden Boy. I feel you, there. He's a pain."

"He's not" Clary protested weakly, "he's just ... difficult."

Magnus shrugged. "If you say so. What have you bought for him?"

Clary gave him a small smile. "Believe it or not, but he does like to read. I bought A Tale of Two Cities for him." Magnus nodded. "Sounds good" he said. "See you around, Clare!" He slammed his locker shut and went to find Alec.

Simon had been effective - Alec was already unwrapping his second gift. Magnus' secret santa hadn't bought anything more yet.

"I think this is a CD" Alec told Magnus. "And I really hope it's something I like." Magnus played innocent and watched Alec's face brighten up when he saw the CD with Taylor Swift.

"It's great!" Alec exclaimed. "But how did my Secret Santa know I liked Taylor?"

Magnus wiggled his eyebrows. "People can figure out enough by simply stalking you."

Alec gave him a strange look that Magnus disregarded.

* * *

 Magnus' second gift appeared on Thursday, and he found it inside his school bag after lunch. Which meant that someone must've snuck it down there while he ate. And that was even more weird, because Alec had been the only one sitting next to him, and the boy had looked so sullen about something Jace had done that morning that he refused to eat.

There was no note attached to this one.

 _Is Alexander my secret santa?_ Magnus wondered on his way home. He fingered on the set of nail polish he had received. It was a beautiful package, with four bottles of dark-coloured polish. Magnus had seen this in a shop, and he knew it wasn't the cheapest thing to buy. Well, that was an understatement. To be frank; it was expensive as shit.

However, Alec being the Santa would explain almost everything. How he managed to get inside Magnus' locker, and how he knew exactly what Magnus liked.

* * *

 On Friday, during his lone break, Simon came to sit next to him again.

"Hey" greeted Magnus casually.

"Do you know what Alec thought about my gifts?" Simon asked bluntly. Magnus looked up from the magazine he had been reading.

"He liked the shirt, and he became really happy over the CD. You're on the right track, Sam."

"My name's Simon."

"Right, sorry I forgot." He didn't. He remembered Simon's name very well, but it was fun to call him everything but Simon.

"Hey, by the way, has Clary said anything ...?"

"Oh, she totally adores the oil pastels" Simon reassured him. "I went to see her yesterday and she hardly talked to me - she only wanted to draw."

Magnus laughed. "That's good" he said. They sat in silence for a few minutes, before Simon tentatively asked:

"Has ... Alec told you anything about Isabelle?"

"About Isabelle?" Magnus repeated, quirking one eyebrow. "I can't say he has. Why?"

"Oh." Simon bit his lip and paused. "I think she's my Secret Santa."

"What makes you think that?"

"Well, sometimes I find her looking at me, but she looks away as soon as she sees that I've noticed it. And she has started talking to me, oddly enough. And she always asks what I think about the gifts."

Magnus snorted. _Discreet, Isabelle, very discreet._

"Well, just wait and see" he said.

Magnus had gotten Clary a special eraser and coal pencils, but he couldn't stay and see her reaction to it. He hurried to catch up with Alec.

"Has your santa given you any more gifts?" Magnus asked as they walked towards the cafeteria. Alec shook his head.

"But it's only the first week" he said, and Magnus agreed.

* * *

Friday usually meant parties, and parties usually meant Magnus. And Magnus often meant Alec, and that was why the awkward teen now sat in the couch, in some stranger's house. Magnus claimed he knew the host - Ragnor Fell - but that didn't make Alec more comfortable.

The house was very big and fancy - just like Alec's parents' house. The living room had turned into a disco room, with a disco ball and red, blue and green lights dancing over the room.

Magnus had disappeared somewhere, and he watched how Isabelle and Simon sat unusally close to each other. Isabelle had drawn Simon's name and first been pissed about it, but as she started to get to know Simon, those feelings had changed.

Music pounded into his ears, and Alec squirmed. There were too many people he didn't know here. Thankfully, most of them were on the dance floor or upstairs, so he could have the couch by himself. 

He took a sip of his drink and sighed.  _What am I doing here?_

The couch dipped and he saw Magnus flop down next to him, grinning.

"What kind of illegal thing have you done now?" Alec asked. Magnus gave him a beaming smile.

"I haven't done anything illegal, actually. I only filled a pair of shoes with soda."

Alec rolled his eyes. "Totally not mean or anything" he drawled.

Magnus didn't reply to that. After a few minutes, Alec drew the conclusion that the sparkly teen was a bit tipsy.

"Hey Alec" Magnus said, and Alec looked up from his drink. "Do you know who your Secret Santa is?"

Alec shook his head. "Nope."

"That's too bad." Magnus sighed and flopped down on his back, placing his head across Alec's lap. Startled, Alec barely managed to move his drink out of the way.

"You know" said Magnus dreamily, gaze locked on the ceiling, "I'm starting to think you're my Secret Santa."

Alec swallowed, and bit back the nervousness.

"Oh?" he said. "What makes you think that?"

Magnus' glassy eyes looked at him, the yellow-green irises surprisingly intriguing.

"Because only you know the combination to my locker" he said. "And you were the only one sitting next to me during lunch, when I received my second gift. And all of my gifts are things I like, which can be quite hard to figure out."

Alec bit his lip. "Who knows" he said, trying to play it off. "Maybe I am your secret santa. You'll find out in two weeks." 

Magnus sighed,  and said wistfully:

"I wish you were my secret santa. I kind of like you. It would have been nice if it turned out to be you."

Alec was sure his head was going to explode. Blood pulsed in his head, and he barely managed to talk.

"Magnus, you are drunk" he told him. "You don't know what you're saying."  _Don't get your hopes up, Alec._ He took a swig of his drink - innocent Coke, by the way - in an attempt to clear his head.

Magnus closed his eyes. "Yeah" he sighed, "I am drunk." He didn't say anything more, and he didn't move until a boy with Spanish accent walked up to them and yelled something about his soda-drenched shoes.

* * *

On Sunday, Magnus' third gift arrived in the mailbox. It was a brown package, with no sender on it. Opening the box, he found a beautiful jewelry; a necklace with an emerald attached.

"Holy shit" Magnus whispered, holding up the chain to the lamp. "Is this a real ..."

He examined the jewel closely, and he nearly fainted when he realized that it was a real emerald.

"Who would offer so much money on me?" he muttered, spinning around in his office chair.

He wore sweatpants and a shirt, and he didn't plan to leave the house at all that day. Which meant he walked around almost without makeup - only a thin eyeliner and some glitter in his hair.

He had spent the day so far sulking in his room. His walls were painted green, which felt as a too happy colour for his mood right now.

As he sat there, twirling the precious emerald between his fingers, he pondered over the party at Ragnor's house. He had almost confessed to Alec. Not exactly, but 'I kinda like you' was close enough. Alec had told him he was drunk and didn't mean it, and Magnus had played along. Truth was, he was a bit drunk yes, but fully aware of what he was saying. Of course, he hadn't said anything if it hadn't been for the alcohol. But his mind was clear.

"There you have it" said Magnus irritated to himself, kicking away from the desk and sliding across the floor in his room on the chair. "Alexander thinks of you as a friend, and you must stop thinking of him as something more."

He nearly threw the box that he necklace arrived in away, when he saw a note, neatly folded in it. Turning the box upside down, he picked up the note. _A beautiful emerald for beautiful eyes._ This time, it was handwritten but written so neatly and carefully that it didn't matter.

However, at the bottom, someone had sloppily added:  _I hope you like it._

* * *

On Monday, second week of Secret Santa Exchange, Magnus went to school with butterflies in his stomach. He hadn't heard from Alec since that fateful night at the party, and the boys did usually not spend more than one day without talking, or at least texting.

 _Have I fucked up everything?_ Magnus wondered as he pushed the doors open and entered the school. He searched with his eyes, pushing his way through the crowd.

Leaning against one of the  pillars that were placed inside before the door, stood Alec. Waiting for Magnus. Just as he always did.

"Hey" Magnus smiled and walked up to him. Something inside him vanished - that choking and anxious feeling that he had endured the entire morning.

"Hi." Alec's reply was simple, and he gave Magnus a small, strained smile.

_Way to go, Bane._

* * *

Alec sat next to him in class, and they talked and whispered and sent each other notes despite the rules against doing so. Both of them were trying to act normal, and that made everything even more awkward.

 

"YOU. STUPID. IDIOT." Magnus nearly banged his head straight into his locker. "YOU HAD TO SAY THAT STUPID SENTENCE." If he hadn't said anything about liking Alec, then things wouldn't be so strained.

"WHY CAN'T YOU EVER DO THE RIGHT THING?" he taunted himself, thankful for the empty corridor. "WHY MUST YOU ALWAYS RUIN EVERYTHING?"

A younger girl walked past him, giving him a strange look. Magnus glared at her and she gasped, hurrying away.

He was on the verge of actually slamming his forehead into the locker, when he heard his name behind him.

"Magnus?"

He turned to find Simon. He stood there, hugging his backpack and frowning at Magnus. Today, he wore a nerdy shirt with some singer on it, and baggy jeans. The typical nerd.

"Oh, great. It's you." Magnus slid down the lockers and sat on the floor.

"Has anything happened?" asked Simon, not minding the offensive tone in Magnus' voice.

"No." Magnus glared at him. Simon rolled his eyes.

"I know something's happened between you and Alec. I tossed his new gift in his head in one of our classes we had together, and he didn't even react. One of the girls next to him had to nudge him and point at the package."

Magnus buried his face in his hands, not caring about his smudged makeup.

"Well" he said, not looking up. "What did you give him?"

Simon sat down next to him on the floor. "A  pair of mittens. They're predicting snow soon."

Magnus pursed his lips. "I really fucked up with Alec" he said out of the blue. "I said I liked him, and he told me I was drunk and didn't mean it." Simon was quiet for a minute. Magnus glanced at him when he didn't answer.

"I'm really not the one you should talk to about this" said Simon. "All I can say is that Alec is too good to hate you. If he really doesn’t reciprocate your feelings, which I think he does, he wouldn’t just cut your friendship off. I’m sure you’ll find a way through this.”

“Wait a minute.” Magnus gave Simon a suspicious look. “How did you know I actually liked Alec?”

“Because you said you told him you liked him, and you looked so disappointed when you told me he told you that you didn’t mean it.”

Magnus stared at Simon, trying to puzzle together what he was saying.

“Sorry” Simon said sheepishly. “I do tend to make people confused.”

Magnus snorted. “Don’t worry about it” he muttered. “I think people have more serious problem than focusing on your confused rattling.”

* * *

The week went by. Clary received two more gifts, and Alec one. Magnus’ fourth gift was found under his pile of clothes in the dressing room. Which was a bit pervy - someone had snuck into the dressing room, found Magnus’ clothes and hid the present there.

“What is it?” asked Alec curiously, as he sat next to Magnus and pulled on his socks.

Magnus gave him a sideways glance. He still suspected Alec for being his secret santa, but the curiousity on Alec’s face seemed real.

But Alec was a good actor, too.

“We’ll see” he replied. Carefully, he unwrapped the gift. He made sure none of the other boys saw it and started asking questions, though.

He noticed that the wrapping paper was dark blue, with silver streaks and golden dots. Unusual paper. It was tied neatly with a golden ribbon.

“Oh my god.” In his hands, he held a spray with glitter. “This is awesome!” He ducked his head and sprayed some glitter into it immediately. Alec choked and quickly moved away.

“Hey, no glitter on me please!” he complained. Magnus grinned, examining his look in the mirror.

“I look awesome” he said confidently.

That made him think of something; he had brought the expensive emerald necklace to school this day. Only so he could take it off and on in the dressing room, thus acknowledning its existence to Alec.

“Look what my Secret Santa got me” Magnus said, and held up the emerald.

Was it a hint of recognition that flickered in Alec’s eyes?

However, the teen quickly put on a blank face.

“Nice” he said. “Is it a real emerald?”

“Yeah” replied Magnus, and hung the necklace around his neck.

“Expensive stuff there. Should you really be wearing that to school?”

Magnus decided to tell Alec half of the truth.

“I was hoping that my Secret Santa would see me with this on and maybe recognize it” he said carefully. He didn’t say that he had hoped for Alec to recognize it.

“Oh” said Alec, and they changed in silence.

* * *

“Do you feel like hanging out tonight?” Alec asked suddenly. Magnus gave him a surprised look. It was Tuesday, the last week of Secret Santas.

“Sure” he said. “Why?”

Alec shrugged, and looked away. “Been a while” he said. And that was true.  
  
Somewhere, deep inside Magnus' chest, a happy feeling dug its way outwards. If Alec invited him over, then he couldn't totally loathe him.

"Sounds nice. Any plans?"

Alec's eyes widened, and Magnus immediately got a concerned look.

"Alec?"

"I- oh, I just thought about a normal movie night. Pitch Perfect, have you seen that?"

"I have"  Magnus said, "and I am willing to watch it again. Best damn movie ever."

Alec nodded, agreeing.

"So" he said, "any plans for Christmas?"

Magnus shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe I'll celebrate with Ragnor, or something. But I don't feel like intruding his celebration with his family."

Alec gave Magnus a symphathetic look. He knew very well that Magnus' mother was dead and his dad not the best dad out there.

"You can celebrate with us, if you want" he offered. "I mean, you did that two years ago. And it was great."

Magnus tilted his head. "Two years ago, I didn't have a crush on you" he said. Not. Instead, he grinned and said playfully:

"We'll see about that Alexander. Give me some time to think about it. Do you know what I want to do know, though?" His gaze locked on something behind Alec.

Alec turned and looked out the window, realizing what Magnus was looking at.

Uh oh.

Big, fluffy flakes fell from the sky, covering the grey asphalt.

"Magnus, don't even think about it" he said slowly. The sparkly teen clapped his hands excitedly, and stood up.

"Too late! Come on Alec,  _do you wanna build a snowman?_ "

Alec's eardrums nearly exploded. "Not that song!" he complained. "And it's ten minutes until next class. It's too short."

Magnus grabbed Alec's bag and threw it under the bench, followed by his own. "Nothing's too short if you make yourself time!" he exclaimed. "Please Alec! It's the first snow!"

Alec hesitated. "Okay ... but don't throw sno-" Too late. Magnus had already tugged Alec along.

Pushing the doors open, he looked up to the white sky with delight on his face. Alec shivered and kicked the thin layer of snow that lay under his feet.

"This is amazing!" Magnus shouted. Alec groaned.

"Please, no more Frozen-references!" he moaned. "You've already forced me to watch that movie three times. No more, I say."

Magnus grinned, and pulled his scarf tighter around his neck.

"Your wish has been fulfilled, my dear" he grinned. "How about we simply throw some snowballs at each other?"

Alec took a step back. "Magnus, I told you -" he said weakly, but Magnus had already started forming a snowball in his hand. The snow was yet too fresh, and it took several attempts to form a ball.

"Magnus" Alec said warningly, "I swear to the Angel, if you throw that ..."

Magnus looked at him, weighing the snowball in his hand. He examined the sullen boy before him. Alec's dark mop of hair stood out in the white-ness around them, but his pale skin almost blended into the background. Alec had dark blue jeans, and a black jacket with his hands shoved deeply in the pockets of it. 

His glare was enough to tell you _throw a snowball and you will get massmurdered._ But that didn't stop Magnus from reaching his arm back, and then hurl the ball at Alec.

Alec had good reflexes, and he instinctively turned away, ducking. The ball hit him in the back of his head, and he nearly fell over.

"I am  _so_ ending our friendship!" Alec shrieked, when another snowball hit him in the face. Magnus doubled over, laughing.

"Magnus Bane! Stop it!" 

When Magnus only picked up another pile of snow and started rolling it in his hands, Alec fled. He didn't exactly know  _where_ \- he just ran. Up over the small hill, down to the football field. 

"Alexander! Come back!" he heard Magnus tease.

Alec came to a halt in the middle of the field, panting. He turned to see where Magnus was, when said teenager rammed into him. The snowball Magnus had planned to throw was crushed against Alec's waist, and his eyes widened when he helplessly fell over. 

Magnus, being on top, managed to bring out his hands and stop his head from smashing into Alec's face. 

Panting, he looked down at the boy under him. Alec's blue eyes were wide with shock, and he breathed in small puffs.

"You're ... you're hurting my leg ..." Alec gasped.

Startled, Magnus realized his knee was pressing into Alec's thigh, quite painfully. "Sorry" he breathed, moving his knee.

For a moment, they just lay there. With snow falling around them, cheeks and noses red from the cold and small clouds puffing from their mouths as they breathed.

Magnus looked at Alec's lips. They were nice lips, to be honest. Pink, and plump. A bit chapped, probably.

 _Do it!_ a part of his brain screamed.  _Don't you dare!_ the other said. Just as Magnus was about to give into the  _do it!-_ part, Alec opened his mouth and said shakily:

"I think we need to go in. Class is about to begin."

Magnus blinked. Then, he slowly started to react.

"Yeah. Yeah, you're right." He clumsily rolled off Alec, and stood up. Offering his hand, he hauled Alec to his feet. His best friend staggered a little, but regained his balance. Giving Magnus a small smile, he started walking back to the school.

Magnus followed behind him.

_Damnit._

_So close._

* * *

That afternoon, Magnus entered Alec’s house for the first time for what felt like ages. The almost-sort-of-maybe-kiss at the field still occupied the biggest part of Magnus' mind, but he tried to shrug it off.

Jace stood in the kitchen, furiously wrapping a small package.

“He’s mad because he got his own sister on the paper” Alec told Magnus, smirking. He ignored the middle finger he got from Jace and jumped up on the kitchen counter.

 _So that’s how it is,_ Magnus thought. _I got Clary,  Clary got Jace, Jace got Isabelle, Isabelle got Simon, Simon got Alec and Alec … probably me._

He didn’t comment on it, though.

“Hey, Magnus” said Jace, “long time, no see. Who’s your Secret Santa?”

Magnus looked at him. “It is against the rules to tell, but it’s your girlfriend Clary.”

Jace frowned. “She’s not my girlfriend.”

Alec let out a laugh. “Sure” he said. “You’re just totally drooling over her."

Magnus quirked one eyebrow at that. He had honestly thought Jace and Clary had gotten together - he had seen them make out at the party.

"Well" he said, "what have you gotten for Isabelle?"

Jace tossed him the package, and Magnus caught in in the air.

"Perfume?" he guessed, turning the package in his hands. Jace nodded.

"It could have been anyone but Isabelle" he complained. "Why her? She's to freaking hard to buy for. 'Not this, it's the wrong brand.' 'Jace, this is the wrong size'. 'Such an ugly colour'. Ugh!"

Magnus didn't answer to that. He looked at the paper.

Dark blue.

Silver streaks.

Golden dots.

Golden ribbon.

It couldn't be ...

Slowly, he looked up. On the table stood a roll with golden thread. And a roll of blue wrapping paper, with silver streaks and golden dots.

His gift from his Secret Santa had been wrapped in the exact same paper and ribbon.

His mind might have imploded, because he just stood there, gaping.

"Magnus?" Jace snapped his fingers. "Done admiring my masterwork? Can you hand it back?"

Magnus snapped out of his daze, and tossed Jace the package. "You've tied the bow wrong" he said shortly, before he turned to Alec. His best friend (and crush) gave him a questioning smile. He hadn't realized Magnus knew.

"Alec? Mind if we go upstairs? I miss your room. It feels like ages since I've been here."

Alec raised his eyebrows. "Sure" he said. "Good luck with the bow, Jace."

Magnus turned to look at the blond, who now had managed to tangle the ribbon around his clumsy fingers. Swearing, he tugged and tore in the ribbon, trying to get loose.

* * *

The Lightwood's house was neatly decorated with paintings on the wall, and expensive rugs. The entire house always had a new scent about it, as if someone had cleaned and scrubbed every inch of the house, which was a bit odd since the parents rarely were home.

Alec's room was a bit toned down - grey walls, plain furniture. 

Magnus sat down on Alec's soft, green armchair. He really loved this chair - when they were little, they used to cuddle on this together. Now, they were too big to both fit in it. Magnus filled the chair by himself.

Alec placed himself on his bed, that for once wasn't folded and made neatly.

"So" Magnus said, gaining Alec's attention. "Jace is Isabelle's Secret Santa."

Alec snorted. "Yeah" he said. "He complains about it as soon as Isabelle can't hear it." He grinned, and Magnus relaxed a little. Maryse and Robert Lightwood had never been the ideal picture of perfect parents, and they had made it quite awkward to be in the rest of the house. But Alec's room was their little sanctuary. He felt safe here.

"And Clary is Jace's" Magnus continued. Alec nodded slowly.

"Isabelle's Simon's."

"Yeah."

Magnus tilted his head.

"Alexander" he said, "may I ask you where you got that wrapping paper from?"

Alec's eyes widened, and Magnus' thoughts were confirmed.

Alec was his Secret Santa.

"I..." Alec stammered, before recovering and saying: "I don't know. I think Izzy bought it, somewhere. Don't know which shop, though."

Magnus looked at the nervous boy before him. Alec studied the posters on his walls - pictures of him and Magnus, of him and his siblings. Of Max, his deceased brother. 

"Funny" said Magnus. "Because one of my gifts were wrapped in the exact same paper as Jace's gift."

Alec raised his eyebrows at that, but his lips were pressed together tightly. He tucked his legs under him, as if trying to become as small as possible.

"Oh?" he said. "Funny coincidence."

Magnus had known Alec for years and years again, and he knew how stubborn the boy could be. So he didn't let Alec's short reply affect him. Instead, he leant back in the chair and studied Alec.

They stared out each other, Alec's blue eyes nervous and Magnus' yellow-green persistent.

"Why" said Magnus finally, "do I get the feeling that it isn't a coincidence?"

Alec closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. Magnus could almost hear him regret every decision in his seventeen year long life. He would have laughed, but he felt that now wasn't maybe the best time to it. Alec was clearly on the verge of freaking out.

"Alec, just answer me: Are you my Secret Santa?"

For a long, painful moment Alec didn't answer, and Magnus feared he would have to repeat the breaking question again.

Then, Alec opened one eye, peering at him.

"Okay, yes, maybe I am" he said in a small voice.

Magnus nodded, thoughtfully. He had already figured that one out, so it was nothing new to him. It was another question that bothered him.

"Why did you purchase such expensive gifts?" he asked, twirling one of the rings on his finger. It was the only sign outwards that hinted that he, too, was nervous.

Alec looked a bit surprised at that, and when he answered he didn't sound shy and nervous. More like it was something that should be obvious.

"Because you're my best friend" he said, eyes wide and earnest.

 Magnus sighed. "I know, and you're mine" he said. "I just hoped ..." he trailed off, realizing how stupid it sounded.

"No" he muttered, and raked a hand through his spiked hair. "No, that's just stupid."

Alec uncurled himself from his protective bal on the bed and looked curiously and a bit warily at Magnus.

"What is it, Mags?"

The nickname,  _Mags_ , sparked something inside Magnus. He took a breath and said, without thinking:

"Maybe that you liked me a bit more than best friend, because you wrote on one of the notes that I had beautiful eyes, and you reacted so strangely when I almost confessed you at the party, and when I almost kissed you out there on the football field. And I might've been pining after you for one year and a half, and that's why I was a bit hesitant to spend Christmas with you, because I really don't know how to act around you right now."

Magnus inhaled deeply. Then he said:

"That was a long speech."

Alec smiled a little, but didn't answer. He had remained silent during Magnus' ranting, and was now looking at a spot right above Magnus' head.

"Alexander?" Magnus inquired.

Alec looked at him, and his eyes didn't have the creeped, or disgusted look Magnus had feared. Instead, he looked a tiny bit smug.

"Wait a minute" he said, and stood up. He opened his closet and started runmaging in there. Magnus was about to pull a closet-joke to ease the mood, when Alec found what we was searching for.

"Here" he said, and gave Magnus a package. It had the size and weight of a book, and was wrapped neatly in blue paper with silver streaks and silver dots. Magnus grinned fondly at that.

Closing the wardrobe doors, Alec sat down on the floor before Magnus.

"Well, open it" he said. "This was my last and fifth gift for you. And I knew once you had received it, you would've figured out who I was. I planned to reveal myself as your Santa today when I gave you this, so that's why I wanted you to come over."

"And why you looked so terrified when I asked if you had any plans" Magnus guessed. Alec nodded.

"I thought you had figured me out there" he admitted.

Magnus gave Alec a curious look, and started to carefully unwrap the gift.

It turned out to be a photo album, with the text MAGNUS AND ALEC on the cover. Magnus opened it, and was met by the face of a grinning Magnus and Alec, about the age of two. Alec had an arm around Magnus, and his eyes were already then stunningly blue.

On the next page was he and Alec about three years old, and they were celebrating Alec's birthday. Alec was blushing on the photo, while Magnus grinned a wicked grin.

"Wow" Magnus muttered as he browsed through it. "Where did you get all these pictures from?"

There were pictures from he and Alec at the beach, at several different ages. When they went on a roadtrip last year. Seven year old Alec proudly holding up a tooth, grinning so you could see the empty space where the tooth once sat. That one time when they went to a masquerade, and Alec dressed as a mouse and Magnus as a cat.

"I asked Mom to print all pictures from our childhood together" said Alec, blushing now. "And I found some by myself."

Magnus took a minute to admire twelve year old Alec making a snowangel, before he closed the book.

"Thank you" he said earnestly, and Alec grinned.

"So" he said and stood up from the floor. "Movie time?"

Magnus felt a bit disappointed. There was still something unfinished between him and Alec. But he didn't say anything . he just nodded and went to sit next to Alec before the TV. (The lucky bastard had his own TV and couch in his room.)

* * *

During the whole movie, Alec didn't move from his spot next to Magnus. His knee almost touched Magnus' thigh, and no matter how cliché it sounded, Magnus felt the electricity between them. _I thought that only happened in the Twilight books._ But he was painfully aware of Alec's every movement, and his steady breath.

They heard Isabelle open the front door, bringing Simon with her. They heard  her complain about her recent gift from the Secret Santa, and they heard Jace storm off to his room and slam the door.

But Alec didn't move to see what was happening out there.

When Beca and the Bellas had finished their final performance, and she went down to see Jesse and kiss him, Magnus said:

"Alec."

"Magnus" Alec replied, moving a little.

"May I kiss you?"

Silence.

Then:

"Yes."

First, Magnus didn't do anything. Then, he turned so he faced Alec. Said teen turned his head to look at Magnus, tilting his head a little.

"Maybe it was a good thing I got to be your Secret Santa" he said as Magnus leant closer. Magnus' eyes glinted in the dark.

"Oh?" he said. "Why is that?"

Alec shrugged. "Otherwise, we wouldn't have been here" he said, and leant in to meet Magnus halfway.

* * *

 

Much later that night, after a messy call to his dad to tell him he was staying over at Alec, Magnus sat on Alec's bed in one of Alec's shirt and pants. They had eaten dinner with Jace and Isabelle - Maryse and Robert were on a business trip. 

Isabelle had had a very knowing smirk on her lips and that had annoyed Alec the whole dinner. Jace was throwing a suggestive remark here and there when he found out that Magnus would be staying over, and he didn't stop until Alec threw his water glass at his head and effectively shattered it. A very unusual thing for Alec to do, but Magnus supposed you had a privilege when your best friend for years just had turned into your boyfriend instead.

_Boyfriend._

Alec returned from the bathroom, dressed in his pajamas.

"Hi" he said, and Magnus grinned cheekily.

He had always slept on a mattress at Alec's house, but the teen had shyly invited him to sleep in his bed instead. Now, Magnus slipped under the blue covers and pulled them up to his chin.

"Come here so I can cuddle you" he told Alec. Alec blushed as a reply, and climbed into the bed next to him.

"If Jace sees us like this, he's going to tease me forever" he muttered into Magnus' shoulder. Magnus laughed - a carefree laugh, and she slipped one of his arms around Alec's waist pulling him closer. 

He was in a fantastic mood, and he couldn't really describe it. He only knew, for sure, that nothing in the world could dampen his mood.

"Are you implying we're going to do something, or?" he said into Alec's hair. He felt Alec's cheeks heat up against his shoulder.

"I- of course not! Magnus, stop it!"

Laughing, Magnus pulled away a little so he could see Alec's face. Alec reached out to turn out the light at his nightstand, and the room became dark. Magnus could guess where Alec's amazing, blue eyes where, and he knew that Alec looked back at him.

After a few minutes, Magnus said:

"Have I told you I love you?"

He felt Alec shift. "No" he replied. "But I know it." Pause. "And I love you, too."

Grinning, Magnus pressed his forehead against Alec's.

"Can I ask you something?" he said. Alec shrugged. 

"Go ahead."

"How much did the emerald cost?"

Alec's body rumbled with laughter, and he replied:

"Not even the half of your worth" he said.


	2. Simon and Isabelle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a short bonus chapter. There will probably be one more, but they will be **short **because Malec is the focus of this story.****  
>  I even made a schedule where I took notes of all the given gifts and which day, but **I might have screwed up anyways in the timeline. ******  
> Anyways, these chapters focus more on **the character development, where they will start getting feelings for each other.**  
>  so any mistakes, please tell me! Honestly, do it. You can save me from total embarassment and other people from total confusion.  
> This will NOT BE SO SLOW-BUILD.  
> Unbeta'd and written in a hurry, so maybe some mistakes.

 

Simon nearly faceplanted on the table when he got the note with the text  _Alexander Lightwood_ on it. Because yeah, he knew who it was. Magnus Bane, the most prominent, outstanding and attentionseeking male of the entire school, loved being in the spotlight. And he never hesitated to drag his shy friend Alec into it.

_Great. At least I know who it is_ , Simon thought.  _I mean, there are those who gets a person they haven't even heard of before. Now to the real question._

_What the hell should I buy for him?_

He glanced at Clary, across the classroom. Judging by her face, she hadn't gotten someone good neither.

 

On Tuesday, he was close to having panic. He dragged Clary with her, complained to her about Alec - "Simon! You're not supposed to tell anyone!" - and with her help, they bough a black shirt for the boy. Not the best gift ever, but anyways.

 

And then, there were this issue with his own Secret Santa. His first gift appeared on Wednesday, in his bag, during class. He had reached into it, looking for his notebook when his fingers touched something that rustled and definitely not had been there this morning. Startled, he had cast a furtive look at everyone around him. The shy girl next to him - Maureen - scrunched her forehead and seemed to be concentrating on her Maths. And the boys before him couldn't possibly have managed to sneak it down in his bag without being noticed.

He glanced at the bench next to him. The girl there had the perfect position for stuffing something in his bag.

She had ink-black hair, dark eyes and a proud figure. 

Which was why Simon immediately dismissed the thought.

_Isabelle Lightwood could not be his Secret Santa._

* * *

"Who do you think it is?" asked Clary, during the break. They sat outside the classroom, waiting for next class.

Simon sighed and reached for the gift inside his bag.

"I really have no idea." He told her everything about his suspicions, and Clary's eyes grew big when he mentioned Isabelle.

"You know" she said, "it  _could_ be her. She's been looking at you the entire day, when you didn't see it."

Simon looked bewildered. "She has? I haven't noticed that."

Clary rolled her eyes. "Maybe because she looks away as soon as you look up. Anyways, why haven't you opened the present?"

Simon gave his present a confused look, as if he hadn't thought about unwrapping it.

"Right" he said. "I should probably do that."

He examined the package - small, shaped as a square.  _Probably a Nintendo game._

The wrapping paper was a simple, green one without any ribbons. However, whoever had wrapped the thing had been persistent, because tape covered almost the entire package. It took him good five minutes before he managed to rip it open.

"Yup" he said, holding it up for Clary to see. "It's a Nintendo game."

She raised her eyebrows. "Well? Do you like it?"

Simon nodded. "Sure" he said. "Never thought of playing it before, but it sounds nice."

* * *

 

To solve the problem with Alec, he went to talk to Magnus during one of the breaks. Pleased, he saw that Alec was nowhere in sight and took a seat next to the sparkly teen.

So the thing with Alec was out of the way.

It was only his own Secret Santa that was a problem.

* * *

 

Isabelle Lightwood had never heard of a boy named  _Simon Lewis_ before, and she scrunched her face up in confusion. She had hoped for it to be Meliorn, or at least her brother Alec. (Not Jace. He'd be a pain to buy for.)

So what did you do when you had to find about someone's identity without asking anyone? You googled it.

Or, at least stalked him on Facebook. During one of her breaks, when she was alone - Alec had gone off with Magnus and Jace was busy drooling over some redhead - she quickly took her phone and opened Facebook. There were several hits on Simon Lewis, and she pressed on the one that currently went to her own school.

She frowned when she saw the boy. Brown, messy hair and big glasses. Typical nerd-look. 

She scrolled down his feed. He was quite active on Facebook, but it was only boring things -  _New game release today! Went to Game Store today! New collector cards! Saw this dude perform today with Clary!_

Wait. She scrolled up again, looking at the girl he had taken a selfie with. It was the same girl she had seen Jace stare at. She pressed on the picture, and 'Clary Fray' popped up. 

Isabelle considered stalking Clary too, for Jace's sake, but decided against it.

Sighing, she put her phone in her pocket and slid down the bench. Her tight, silvery tanktop and leather jeans were worn for one purpose only - to seduce Meliorn.

But no, he wasn't in school today and she didn't even get to be his Secret Santa. She kicked the floor with her heel angrily, making a scratch in both her shoe and the floor.

_Why couldn't it be Meliorn?_

"Hey sis", said someone. Looking up, she found her half-brother smirking at her. 

"What do you want?" she asked, annoyed. Jace ignored her tone and sat down next to her.

"Who did you get?" he asked, and Isabelle glared at him. 

"It's against the rules to tell" she said. Jace laughed at that.

"Since when do you care about the rules?" he teased. 

_Since I got Simon Lewis to buy for._

Isabelle sat up straighter and gave him her most deadly look.

"Shut up, Jace" she muttered.

* * *

Okay, so the Nintendo Game hadn't been the best purchase. She had checked Simon's Facebook some more and eventually found a series of games he liked, and the very same day she went to a game shop and bought one of the games.

She recognized Simon now - she had a few classes with him. Shy and awkward, but clever. He had the bench next to her in Maths. 

Honestly, though? He looked even more nerdy in real life. Cute, in one way. But nerdish-cute, and not hot-cute.

Sighing, she reached out and quickly stuffed the gift in his bag. The idiot was too focused on his book to even notice his surroundings. Clary wasn't in this class, which Isabelle was thankful for. The girl was clearly quite observant and would immediately notice Isabelle.

Leaning over her own book, she saw out of the corner of her eye how Simon reached into his bag, runmaging around. Eventually, he touched the gift, and she noted pleased how his mouth fell open in surprise.

_Like a confused puppy_ she thought, and immediately chided herself for having such a cheeky and childish thought.

* * *

 There was only one more way to find out what to buy for Simon, and that was talking to the guy himself. And that was also why Isabelle confidently marched through the corridors, looking for the brown-haired boy. Eventually, she spotted him at his locker. 

Alone.

_Where was Clary?_

However, she seized the oppurtunity and walked up to him. He didn't even look up from runmaging in his locker, because everyone knew that Isabelle Lightwood didn't date, or even speak to guys that were considered 'nerdy' or 'low'. And that was probably why he looked so startled when she said a causal:

"Hello."

He jumped, and a few books even fell out from his locker. Embarrassed, he knelt down on the floor to gather them. Isabelle raised her eyebrows and watched how he desperately tried to gather them, not looking at her.

"Sorry" she said, when she realized that she probably had been a bit rude. "Let me help you." She knelt, too - careful not to get dirt on her white jeans - and picked up the books closest to her.

"My name's Isabelle" she introduced herself when they stood up again. First now, she got a good look at Simon. No matter how nerdy he looked, he had a nervous and innocent aura around him. His face was nicely shaped, sort of with the roundness of a baby. His eyes were big and brown, framed by his glasses.

"I- uh, I know. Wait, I mean ... damnit. Hi. I am Simon. Lewis. Lewis, it's my last name. My first name's Simon. Wait, you didn't tell me your last name. Now I look like an idiot" Simon rattled. Isabelle didn't know if she should snicker or merely raise her eyebrows - most boys were either  _too_ confident when talking to her, or they avoided her at all costs.

Simon was a bit amusing.

"We have Maths together" said Isabelle, and noticed how Simon's blush made him look kinda funny.

"I know" he said, closing his locker. He didn't seem to have much more to say, so Isabelle sighed inwardly. She would have to row this boat.

"Has your Santa given you any gifts?" she asked, trying to act cool. Simon nodded slowly.

"Yeah" he said, and first now it seemed like he had realized that  _Isabelle Lightwood_ was talking to him. She saw in his eyes how he confused looked for a reason to have someone as Isabelle talking to _him_.

"A Nintendo game" said Simon, and shifted awkwardly. Now, he couldn't excuse himself with pretending to search for something in his locker, and he tried pointedly not look at Isabelle. He snuck a look anyways, and was stunned by her confident beauty. Her sharp cheekbones and the stubborn set of her jaw. Her long fingers that curled around a long chain in silver that she wore around her wrist. The nails were painted dark red, and filed nicely.

Isabelle noticed him looking, but didn't comment on it.

"Did you like it?" she inquired, and almost kicked herself later.  _You could maybe_ try  _to be subtle?_

Simon shrugged. "Yeah" he said. "It was nice."

His gaze locked somewhere behind her, and she realized he was trying to come up with an excuse to leave.

She also realized she was making him nervous.

Normally, it was a feeling she enjoyed; to have the power to affect a boy's comfort zone. To play with their hearts, watch them smile stupidly under her commanding tone. She liked the feeling of being obeyed and feared.

However, this nervous look didn't suit Simon. It was a foreign feeling to her - to feel empathy towards a boy. Well, except for her brothers.

"I'm going to leave now" she told him, voice a bit shaky with the new realization. 

Simon nodded, and looked relieved.

Isabelle tried to look cold and hard as ice as she walked away.

* * *

"I don't understand" Simon told Clary as they walked home. "Why the heck would  _the_ Isabelle Lightwood talk to me? Especially about my Secret Santa, and if I liked my gifts?"

Clary snorted, and took off her cap. It was chilly outside, but the sun was shining. They crossed a street and rounded a corner, before she actually answered.

"My guess is that she's your Secret Santa, and she was trying to figure out if you liked the gift or not" she announced, grinning. 

"That's the thing!" Simon complained. "She cannot be my Secret Santa! It just ... can't."

Clary raised her eyebrows at him, kicking a rock before her.

"Why not?" she asked in superior tone that was very unusual for her. "The names are randomly given. She didn't exactly decide on you, her note did that. It could even have been Jace, or maybe Maureen who got your name."

Simon scowled. He knew that Clary had gotten Jace Lightwood on her paper, and he disliked the blond brat very deeply. He had gotten over his crush on Clary, but that didn't stop him from feeling a jealous and nagging feeling in his chest every time she looked at the brat and blushed.

Once, he actually tried to talk to Jace. Get to know him, since Clary obviously liked him. The conversation went like this:

 

"Hi."

"Oh, hey, nerd."

"My name' Simon."

"And I don't care."

_Inhale. Exhale._

"I heard you liked to read?"

"Whoever you heard that from must've been either drunk or really stupid."

"I heard it from Clary. Do you know her?"

"I do. I've seen her taping one of my gifts to my locker. What do you want?"

"I'm trying to make a conversation here, if you haven't noticed."

"And I am trying to end a conversation here, if you haven't noticed."

Simon had been very close to punching the blond, but he resisted the urge. Mainly because 1) he was a good boy and didn't like to punch people even if they deserved it, 2) Clary would be furious with him and 3) Jace was, unfortunately, stronger than him. It made Simon sour to admit, but he knew that Jace probably could snap his leg in half with one hand, while signing autographs with the other. 

In the end, he had given Jace a murdering look that the blond simply raised one eyebrow at, and then turned and stalked off.

 

"Simon?" 

Simon winced, and was brought back to present time. They had stopped outside Clary's house now, without him noticing. Clary herself stood before him, looking at him with a questioning gaze.

"Did you hear me?"

He blinked. "Hear what?"

She sighed. "I said, maybe you should give Isabelle a chance. Maybe she is a nice girl. Maybe she likes you."

Simon gave a bitter laugh and raked his hand through his hair.

"Clary, someone as Isabelle would never look twice at me, unless it was to tell me to fuck off."

Clary scowled. "Simon, don't swear like that. It's just nonsense, anyways. Give me one, real reason to why it would be so horrible with giving Isabelle a chance."

Simon looked her for a long time.

"Because" he said finally, "she is a heartbreaker. And I don't feel like getting my heart broken."

* * *

Isabelle made sure Jace wasn't close to them, before she grabbed Alec's arm and pulled him away. She noticed Magnus giving them a questioning look, but she stuck her tongue out and dragged her brother along to an empty corridor.

"Alec" she said gravely. Her brother looked at her with a confused look in his eyes.

"What?" he asked. "We have lunch now. Magnus is waiting for me."

"I know" she snapped. "I must ask you something real quick."

"Okay. What is it?"

She bit her lip, suddenly regretting her decision to speak with Alec.  _He's your brother,_ she scolded herself.  _If you want someone to ask, then Alec is probably the best person to talk to._

"Am I ... No, wait. I ..." She hated this. She hated feeling unsure and not knowing what to do. It wasn't her.

Alec tilted his head. "Is this about Simon?"

Oh. Of course he knew. That she was Simon's Secret Santa was already known to him, but that she wanted to talk about the nerdy boy with the glasses ...

"Okay, maybe it is. I tried talking to him, but he was so shy. Didn't look me in the eyes, and he had the look of an animal trapped in a cage."

Alec nodded.

"It's just ..." Isabelle sighed. "What can I do to make him more comfortable?"

A sly grin spread across Alec's lips. It was unusual for her shy and closeted brother to have such a look, and she braced herself for whatever was coming.

"Why do you care about Simon's comfort?" asked Alec.

Isabelle glowered at him. "No talk about that" she hissed. "Not now. Just ... please, Alec. Give me some advice."

Alec snorted. "Why are you talking to me about this? Try asking Magnus. Or Jace, or Clary."

"That's the thing, Alec. I don't want them to know. I'm asking you because you're my brother and the only one not judging me."

Alec looked surprised at that. "I don't think Jace would judge you" he commented.

"No, but he would definitely smirk and throw remarks everywhere and be all suggestive an ... ugh! Alec, please."

Her brother sighed. "Well, okay. You should maybe tone down your style a little. Simon seems to be the quiet, shy type who is used to be in the shadow. I bet your ...  _prominent_ clothing" he surveyed her up and down, clearly disliking her short skirt and tight top, "makes him a bit shaky. Try to do dress more plainly."

"But" Isabelle started, but Alec gave her a warning look. 

"And" he continued, "try to be more Isabelle when you're with him. Not  _the_ Isabelle, who breaks hearts and likes to look down on people. Try being a normal girl joking around and embarassing herself."

Isabelle contemplated this closely. Then, she said:

"Alec, you really are an idiot."

Pause.

"But you're a clever idiot."

* * *

Simon couldn't help but gape when Isabelle, dressed in blue jeans and a T-shirt, walked into the classroom. He had never seen her wear something so ... plain. Not that it didn't look good on her. It was just ... unusual for him to see her in such a relaxed outfit.

"Hey" she smiled and took her seat at the bench next to him. Simon nodded, before he remembered that it would be polite to greet back.

"Hi." Well, at least he didn't ramble on like he did last time. He still blushed whenever he thought about it.

It was Friday, second week of Secret Santas. He had received two more gifts - a shirt with a popular band on it, and a key chain with some anime characters on it. He strongly believed Isabelle was his Secret Santa now - he had even talked to Magnus about it - but that knowledge didn't make him feel more at ease.

So, Isabelle was his Secret Santa. No big deal.

So, Isabelle was talking to him and was dressing in simple clothes. Very much big deal.

_Why is she doing this? Wouldn't it be easier for her if she just gave me the gifts and then ignored me, like she always has?_

Isabelle hummed for herself and started preparing her books. Simon stared at her. Suddenly, she didn't feel so dangerous and condescending. Not like that girl every guy wanted, that girl who dressed in clothes as daring as possible without upsetting the teachers.

She seemed ... normal.

Simon liked that.

* * *

 Isabelle had seen others do it, so she followed the stream and taped Simon's gift to his locker. 

As she fiddled with the tape roll, she couldn't help but wish Simon would come up to her and talk to her. It was a weird wish, because their last conversation hadn't gone too well.

_What is so special about Simon?_ she wondered, when the gift - a Star Wars-wallet - was securely fastened to the locker.  _Okay, he's a bit funny to talk to. But I can't be interested in him._

_Why nit?_ another part of her brain asked.

_Because I am Isabelle Lightwood_ , she replied.  _And I don't fall in love._

She walked faster, bumping into students as she made her way through.

_Especially not with someone like Simon._  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THAT IS IT.  
> My guess is that you wanted a part where they confess to each other, or something like that. The thing is, I really don't ship Sizzy that much. I mean, it's a ship and I prefer that pairing in other fics. But I can't manage to write a really touchy-feely-fluffy story about them because it just feels weird. This is just a simple piece to get a glimpse of what went through their mind during the Santa week.

**Author's Note:**

> Take a half second to press on one button and leave a kudos? Like, on fanfiction.net, you have to WRITE something in the review (well, you can 'favourite' the story too) and i'm often too lazy to write something, but it's easier here where you can simply click on a button and DONE.  
> Please leave a comment about my writing too! I need some constructive critism!  
> (I always post fanfics before I go to bed so when I wake up, I have a mail about comments or kudos waiting for me. Please make me happy and leave a kudos?)


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